How to Nap at Work

how-to-nap-at-workDo you nap at the office?  What are your best tips for napping at the office (possibly without getting caught)?  We took a poll on office naps a thousand years ago, but haven’t really discussed since then, and I thought it might be an interesting topic.

First, some factoids from the Internet — according to Inc., researchers concluded in 2010 that “napping can improve the brain’s ability to retain information, noting that a middle-of-the-day reprieve ‘not only rights the wrong of prolonged wakefulness but, at a neurocognitive level, it moves you beyond where you were before.’”  More and more offices are adding nap rooms (or buying “sleep capsules,” which give you a bit more privacy).  (On the flip side, as Salary.com notes, some companies still consider it grounds for firing – know your office!)  For the DIY-nappers, there’s even a fully funded Kickstarter campaign for a pillow that gives you a “micro environment in which to take a comfortable power nap” (pictured — you can now buy the pillow for $99). Apparently, in Japan napping is so popular among top executives that there’s an entire culture around it.  It’s important to note that napping is not necessarily “sleeping” — and even if you normally take 30+ minutes to fall asleep at night you can reap the benefits.  According to Lifehacker, Pzizz is a new tool that can help you “learn” to power nap (and help with nighttime insomnia too).

So, ladies — do you nap at the office?  Is there a nap room or other space available for napping, and do you actually use it?  Have you picked up any tips or tricks (signs on the door, special messages for your secretary, etc) that makes napping at work easier? [Read more...]

Laughter, Anxiety, and the Overachieving Chick

"Baby trashes bar in Las Palmas"I’ve been thinking lately about how important laughter is — specifically, how important it is to have an honest-to-god giggle fest or a nice deep belly laugh. For my $.02, I feel like it helps me manage anxiety and stress, and for some reason it puts things in perspective. Even if I’m having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, a bit of laughter reminds me that it isn’t quite so bad. At various points in my life I’ve tried to ensure that I get at least one good chuckle a day — in college it was watching a Simpson reruns; in later years it was reading TiVoing The Daily Show, or reading The Onion or Go Fug Yourself.  It’s a habit that has fallen by the wayside as life got busier, but that I’d like to pick up again.

So, ladies, which are your favorite spots for a good chuckle or pick-me-up? I swear, I am keeping the Banana Slicer bookmarked for my next rainy day — and I hate to admit it but this video (“Baby trashes bar in Las Palmas”, embed below) makes me die laughing every time. A few other favorites I’ve linked to in the past:
- Mean Kitty
- Target Women: Yogurt

What are some of the funniest things that you’ve seen on YouTube, or read on the Internet?  Where do you go for a good dose of laughter? [Read more...]

Navy Skirts… and Tights?

1What color tights do you wear with a navy suit? Reader B wonders…

I’m a skirt suit kinda girl, in part because I prefer to commute in flats and then switch to heels at the office. (Since I’m short, most of my suit pants are hemmed for heels.) Winter isn’t a problem for my black and grey suits; I just trade the hose for black tights. (Side note: the Commando tights you recommended are now my absolute favorites.)

Here’s the issue: two of my favorite skirt suits are navy or navy pinstripe (similar to this J. Crew and this Banana Republic). Pairing navy tights with a navy suit seems crazy monochromatic, and most of the heather or grey tights I’ve seen feel a bit casual for the office. So I end up wearing plain old hose, and my legs freeze on the way to work.

Hmmn.  Great question — this is actually the combo that led me, many moons ago, to wear purple fishnets to work (pictured, in a random picture I happened to take that day – navy sweater, navy wool skirt, purple fishnets, purple shoes), although the last time we took a poll on fishnets at the office readers were really against ‘em.  (Although, if you want, you can get a pair of purple fishnets here, or a crochet set here.) Poking around a bit online, here are a few more ideas: [Read more...]

Tales from the Wallet: How to Manage Many Financial Accounts

kate spade new york 'signature spade - quilted lacey' zip around walletHow do you manage your money without getting stressed out with a million accounts? When we talked about automatic investments a few weeks ago, some readers noted that having too many accounts was stressful to them. So let’s talk about some easier ways to manage the money, how to get a bird’s eye view of your holdings, and some tips to make your general financial life easier. [Read more...]

The Stress of Stress Dreams

stress dreamsI’m in college again. Months ago, I signed up for a class — maybe a complicated math class, but more likely a class with lots, and lots of reading, such as a study of Shakespeare’s entire works, or perhaps it’s Dostoyevsky. And here’s the thing: I meant to drop the class. I realized early on it was too hard, too time consuming to do the work… but somehow, I never got around to actually getting to the registrar and dropping the class. It is now near the end of the semester, and I am responsible for taking the final for this class — and I don’t even remember where or when it meets. I have a week to learn everything, or face an F on my transcript.

Does this dream sound familiar to you? I’ve been having it for as long as I can remember, probably once every few months or so.  A few years ago, while part of a small trial team, my colleagues and I would sit around and have fairly inane conversations over shared lunches and dinners, gobbled quickly in conference rooms, and the topic of conversation turned once to stress dreams.  I remember being amazed that all of my colleagues had had stress dreams (even the partner who had had an incredibly enviable and successful career!) — but more specifically, they all had this stress dream, the meant-to-drop-the-class-but-totally-forgot dream.

Readers, what stress dreams do you have repeatedly?  What message do you take away — for example, does it help you recognize that you’ve reached a certain point in your stress and that you need to force yourself to relax?

(Pictured above: Shakespeare, originally uploaded to Flickr by Hellebardius.)

Medications and Your Job

Pills, originally uploaded to Flickr by GenBug.If a change in your medication affects your job performance, how do you handle it?  Reader K writes in with an interesting question, specifically about pregnancy and ADD medications:

I am interested in how women who have been on ADD meds for years have handled going off of the meds before and during pregnancy (and nursing for that matter), while keeping (and continuing doing great work) in their job. The docs all say I can do it, and I think I can, but figured others might be in the same dilemma and it may be worthy of a discussion!

I think this is a great question, as there are a slew of reasons that people go on or off medications, and there are also times when doctors need to experiment with the dosage, medicine, or even the cocktail of medicine that people can get. And all of that can affect your energy levels, your focus, and ultimately your job performance. (Pills, originally uploaded to Flickr by GenBug.)

[Read more...]